Chain and crosstie link assembling machine



May 4l 1,926. 1,583,322

G. B SMITH -CHAIN AND CROSSTIE LINK ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed May 9. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 GARY .SM1TH,

May 4,

G. B. SMITH CHAIN AND CROSSTIE LINK ASSEMBLING MCHINE Filed May 9, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 nvenw'vl GARY fLMVn-L Y ,mW mw. bf

R v h uw .@,i

May '4 1926.

1,583,322 G. B. SMITH CHAIN AND CROSS'IIIE LINK ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed May 9, 192s 4 sheets-sheet `s gvvunoz: GARY B. 5mi-TH,

May 4 1926. 1,583,322- G. B. SMITH CHAIN AND CRO'SSTIE LINK ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed May 9, 1925 4 Sheets-sheet 4 lnlllllllllnlnuw" Patented May 4, 1926.

Unirse A sraia Parana tesina GnRY B. sMriH, or cHicAc-o, iLLiNois;n.arTin c. silii'rn Aniaiivisfrnnrnix or sain GARY B.' siiirrii, nnonnsnn.

- CHAIN AND onossrin Linn nsssiiniiiivo MACHINE.

Application filed May 9, 192.3. Serial No. 637,785.

To all w/Lom t may concer/nl.'- Be it knoivn that I, GARY B. Siiiiii, a citizen of United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of yCook amL State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful In'lprovements in a Chain and Crosstie Link Assembling h'lachine, of which thefollowing is a speciiication, reference4 being had therein to the accompanying drawing. n n

The present invention is va machine for applying cross tie linkato a chain Aor other member from which'bed `fabrics and the like are made, and it .is the primary object of the invention to provide a novel and ini- Aproved machine of that kind, which Will operate in a practicaland eilicient manner. As a `further object, the inventionaims to provide sucha machineivhich is improved generallyin its construction and details, to

enhance the utility and efficiency thereof.

Another .object is the provision of means for bending portions of the` cross tie vlinks into hooks yembracing the chain or other articulatedv member and for closing' said hooks on such member to securely fasten the cross tie links thereto one at a time in succession at longitudinally spaced points of said chain or member. v

A further object is to provide'sucha machine ivhich Will bend the loops of doubled ivire cross tie links into hooks around the chain or similar member.

With the foregoing and other obiects in view, kWhich Willbe apparent as the description proceeds, the `invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, kit being understood that, changes can be made Within the scope of what' is claimed, Without de- -parting from the spirit of the invention.

rlhe Vinvention is, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. l is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is an -elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line el-Sof l. 1

Fig. l is an enlarged 4detail plan view `of the bending ldevices and corresponding parts, portions being shown,l in section.'

' Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail elevation .of the cross tie' link ,applying Yandfforming devices. y

6 is a horizontaljsectioii on the line 646. cfm-.ig 5...

allfig. 7 is an elevation, corresponding` with Fig. 5, showing a modification.

Fig-8 'is a horizontal section on the line Figs. 9' and 10 are sectional details on the respective lines 9-9 and itl-l0 of Fig. 8.

Fig. ll is Aa detail elevation of the loop bender at the start of its movement through the loop of the. cross tie link. l i

Fig. .l2 is a similar vieivshoiving the loop bender in position to start the bendingA of the loop.

The present machine employs in combination the chain making mechanism orl submachine A, substantially the same as disclosedin'my Patent No. 1,153,266, `granted September'll, i915, and the Across tie link making.;- mechanism "or sub-machine B, `which is substantially the same, in general respects, as'disclosed in my Patent No. 1,116,- 506, granted November l0, 1914, such mechanisms being co-related ,and an organiza-tion effected for' applying the cross tie links to the links ofthe chain. Such mechanisms are snbstaiitially the same as disclosed in said patents, ivithjthe changes and improve ments as hereinafter described. rlhe mechanism. B 4has adrive shaft 2O driven by the sprocket chainQl or otherf'means for. operating Ythe 'crossv tie link making mechanism, andthe chain making mechanism A has the drive shaft 2O which is driven from the drive Ashaft 20 of the cross tie link making mechanism by means of the shaft 23 geared to the shaft 22'r and connected by the sprocket chain 24 withA the shafty 20, although other vgearing,can be used for 'driving the chain making mechanism from', the Cross tie link mechanism.

The chain making mechanism A produces, substantially the same as disclosed in Patent No. 1,153,266, al chain composed of Vthe doubled Wire links 25, each having a iio The cross tie link mechanism B has a rcciprocatory feeder or advancer 30 for intermittently feeding or advancing the wire 31 from which the cross tie links are fashioned, and said mechanism has the bending` device 32 for bending the forward terminal portion of the wire back, substantially the same as disclosed in Patent No. 1,116,506, and after the wire is thus bent it is fed or advanced`forward by the feeder or advancer over a hook bending member 33 and a loop bending and anvil member 36. The cross tie link 34 of doubled wire is of loop form, and the terminals and loop of the 4wire are bent back into the respective hooks 35 and 35 at the opposite ends of the link, and with the present machine, the loop hook 35 of the cross tie link is made to embrace the chain link 25-between the loop 26 and offsets 28, thereby producing a chain having the cross tielinks attached at their looped ends. rlhe production of the cross tie links, generally considered, by the mechanism B is substantially the same as disclosed in Patent No. 1,116,506, but in using the patented mechanisms in combination for applying the cross tie links to the chain, pro-visions are made to accomplish the desired results.

The cross tie link mechanism includes a tubular rock shaft 37 ournaled in the frame 42 and carrying the hook bending member 33 at that end opposite to the mechanism A, and the loop bending member 36 is carried by the corresponding end of a tubular shaft 33 journaled in the frame parallel with the shaft 37. rlhe shafts 37 and 38 have the gear wheels 39 and 40 thereon, respectively, meshing with one another, so that said shafts turn simultaneously in opposite directions, the gear wheels being of `such diameter that the shafts are turned through substantially the same angle for bending the hooks 35 and The mechanism B has a rack 41 reciprocated from thedrive'shaft 2O and meshing with the gear wheel 39 for oscillating the shafts 37 and 33 in proper timed relation, and the wire feeder or advancer 30 is also rcciprocated from the shaft 20.

In using the machanisms A and B in combination for applying the cross tie links to the chain, a guide tube 43 is fitted within the tubular rock shaft 38 and extends from the member 36 beyond the opposite end of the shaft 37 and is secured to the frame 42 beyond said shaft, so that the guide 43 remains stationary, while the shaft 33 rotates around said tubular guide. The guide 43 serves to guide the chain therethrough to pass thro-ugh the shaft 33 and over the member 36, and the guide 43 has a longitudinal slot 44 in the top thereof in nf'hich the hooks 27 of the chain links move, in order to guide the chain links and hold said links against turning motion. A bar 45 of substantially semi-circular section is fitted in the tubular guide 43 at the bottom thereof, with its flat surface uppermost, soV that the chain links slide over the bar in moving through the guide 43. That end of the bar 45 adjacent to the member 3G has a reduced eXtension or tongue 46 to pro-ject out over the member 36 and to provide a substantial element around which the hooks 35 of the cross rtie links can be bent, as will hereinafter more fully appear. A screw 47 is secured in the bar 45 near the tongue 46 and works in a longitudinal slot 43 in the bottom of the guide 43 to prevent angular or transverse displacement ofthe bar 45 and its extension 46, and a second screw 49 is engaged in the bar 45 near the opposite end thereof and depends through a longitudinal slot 50 in the guide 43. The screw or member 49 engages a reciprocate-ry cross head 5l which is slidable on the guide 43, and the cross head 51 is reciprocated in proper timed relation by a lever 52 of the mechanism B which is oscillated from the drive shaft 20.

A rod 53 is slidable through the shaft 37 to project out over the member 33, and projects from the opposite end of the shaft 37 through the lcross head 51, and said rod is secured to the cross head by means of a set screw 54. rlhe rod 53 and bar 45 are reciprccated as a unit to be projected over and retracted from the bending'members 33 and 36, respectively.

A die 55 is mounted for vertical movement above the bending and anvil member 36, being slotted to engage the pins 56 and 57 carried by the frame, and a lever 58 is fulcrumed'on the pin 56 and is connected by a link 59 with the die 55 for reciprocating said die. A bar 60 is connected to the upper long arm of the lever 53 and extends past the feeder or advancer 30. Said bar is moved forwardly by a spring 6l, so as to swingthc l ver 53 to the position as shown in F ig. 5, thereby pulling the link 59 upwardly and raising the die 55. The bar 60 carries a pin 62 projecting behind the feeder' 30, so that when said feeder is moved to its rearmost position, the feeder contacts with the pin 62, tliorebymoving the bar 60 rearwardly and swinging the lever 53 toward a vertical position, thereby shoving the link 59 downvardly, said link and lever providing a toggle connection, whereby to force the die 55 down with considerable pressure in its lowermost position, the lowcrcnd of the die being formed to close and shape the hook Y 35 of the cross tie link on the chain.

The guidel tube 43 extends rearwardly to the mechanism A to receive the chain from said mechanism, and a supplementary bar 45 is disposed in the guide 43 in rear of the bar 45 to supportthe chain for movement in the guide 43. The chain links thus pass from the mechanism A into the guider 43, and are fed from 'thefinechanism A through the guide 43.V y

The chain is fed or advanced through the guide 43 step by step in synchronism with the feeding or advancing of the wire 31. Thus, a sli-de is mounted for reciprocation in the frame 42 and frame of the mechanism A, and a pivoted hook or dog is carried by' theslide 70 and works in the slot 44 ofthe guide 43 whereby the reciprocation of the slide 70 will advance the chain link after link, to .push the chain past the cross tie link applying means.

The vslide 70 is operated simultaneously with the wire feeder 30 from the mechanism ll, so thatthe chain and `cross, tie wire are both advanced at the same time. Thus, the slide 70 is connected by a link 75 with a bell crank lever 77 fulcrumed lon the frame 42, and said lever is connected by a link 7 3 with the feeder 30. Therefore, when the feeder 30 is advanced, the link 7 8 swings the lever 77 so that the link 76 is pulled forwardly to advance the slide 70, and the hook 75 in engaging the rear end of the correspending chain link, will slide the chain forwardly, thereby pulling the. last chain link from the mechanism A. The chain feeder thus pushes the chain pastthe cross tie link applying means, and pulls the chain links from the mechanism A as the chain links areformed. The hook 75, when moved rearwardly, passes over the chain links and drops'behind the rear end of the corresponding' link, as seen yin Fig. 3. Then the feeder 30 returns, the slide 70 is moved rearwardly. The joint 79 between the link 76 and lever 77'is preferably adjustable so as to regulate the amount of movement of the slide 70 and hook 75, according to the length of the chain links.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Zhen the feeder 3()` of the mechanism B advances the wire 31 over ther member 33 and onto the member 36, to bring the bend or loop of the wire on the member 36, the slide 7 0 is also advanced to feed the chain through the guide 43 and over the 'member 33, the doubled wire 31 passing under the chain. l/Vhile the mechanism A is advancingy the chain the length of one chain link through the tubular guide 43 over the bars 45 and 45, the feeder 30 of the mechanism B advances the double wire 31. The cross head 51 is then moved forwardly so as to project the tongue or extension 46 of the bar 45 and the forward end of the rod 53 over the members 36 and 33, re` spectively, so that' the double wire 31 is disposed below the tongue 46 and rod 53, and'when the chain has been advanced the lengt-h of one link, a link v'of the chain is ,so arranged that the portion thereofbetween the loop 26 and offsets 23 is disposed on theV tongue 46 of the bar 45 with said tongue in projected position. The rack 4l is now'mo-ved to turn :the shafts 37 and 38, and the members 33 and 36 are turned Vclockwise and counter clock-wise respectively as seen in Fig. 5.

The membery 33 bends theA terminals of the cross tie link wire, after` aro-und the projected rod 53, to form thel hooks 35 at one end of the cross tie link, The member' 36 being turned will bend the loop of the link upwardly and around the tongue 46 and chain link between the loop 26 and offsets 28 of the chain link. The tongue 46 provides a rigid portion around which the wire can be bent by the member 36 without distorting or displacing the chain link during the bending of the loop into the hook 35. rlhe bending member has beve-lied lugs 102 adjacent to the cutting edge 70 and said lugs having converging faces to force and hold the terminals or hooks 35 of the wire together between the lugs when bending them into hooks.V The member 36 has a stop 104 on the face-ther,.-

yof against which the loop or bend of the link 34 abuts when the wire 31 is advanced. rlhe rack 41 is then retracted, so as to turn the shafts 37 and 33 and members 33 and 36 to normal position, and the cross head 51 `is returned to withdraw the bar 45 and rod 53 from. over the bending members. Then, when.v the feeder 30 returns to its rearmost position it strikes the pin 62, thereby moving the rod 60 rearwardly slightly, and swinging the lever 58 to force the die y55 down. This will close the hook 35 of the cross tie link 34 on the chain link, the member 36 serving as an Vanvil while thehook 35 is being crushed down around the chain link againstsaid member 33, the tongue Aor extension 46 having been withdrawn from the hook 35 so that it can be closed around the chain link. 'v W hen the feeder 30 starts forward to advance the wire 31 to produce the next cross tie link, the rod .60 is moved forwardly by the spring 61, thereby raising the die 55, and the chain being advanced one step will carry the cross tie -link with it off of the members 33 and 36. ,The operation is then repeated as before, so as to apply a cross tio link to each `link of the chain.

rThe chain thus made with ythe vcross tie links thereon can then be fabricated, sectiens of the chain being 'disposed parallel with one another, with the hooks 35 engaged around the chain links within the loop hooks 35 ot the companion cross tie links.

Figs. 7 to 12, inclusively, show a modification oi" the loop bending` means. The bar ll5 within the tubular guide 13 does not reciprocate, and has a channel or slot Z116 therein to permit the hooked ends of the chain links to move in said channel or slot, while the loops 26 and ofisets 23 slide on the bar 15 at the opposite sides of the channel. The ramell2 has secured thereto a block or bracket 107 having a surface 10S on which the link 3e rests while being formed and applied to the chain. T he block 107 has the channel or slot 109 in alineinent with the channel 16 for the passage of the hooked ends of the chain links, and said block has an abutment 110 and an undercut abutment 111 at opposite sides oi"- the channel 109, whereby the loop oi the chain link which is in position to receive the cross tie link thereon bears at opposite sides against the abutments 110 and 111,.thereby preventing the chain link from being displaced transversely, and the chain link engaging under the undercut abutment 111 will prevent the chain link from turning with the bending member. The block 107 has an inclined surtace 112 leading to the abutment 110, so that the cross tie link can ride over said inclined surface and abutment when carried forwardly with the chain after the cross tie link is fastened to the chain.

The loop bending member 36 is secured to the forward end of the shaft 38, and has a curved finger 105 which is normally in the position as seen in Fig, 11, whereby the loop of the link moves over the end of the linger, when the cross tie link wire is advanced to link applying position. rlhe bending member 36 has a notched loop seat 106 at the basal. end oi the finger 105 to engage the loop and bend it around thechain 25.

ln operation, the rod 53 and bending member 33 operate the same as hereinbefore described, and when the member 33 bends the terminals of the cross tie link wire around the rod 53, the bending member36 is rotated in t-he same direction as but further than the bendingv .member 36. rlhe linger .105 moves upwardlv through the loop of the cross tie link and over the chain link 25, as seen in Fig. 12, and the seat 106 contacts with the loop and bends the loop upwardly, over and around the chain link 25, as seen in Fig. 7, thereby bending the loop hook 35 and closing it around the chain link with one operation. The chain link engaging the abutments 110 and 111 will be retained in position while the hook 35 is being bent around the chain link, and when the rod 53 and'member 33 are returned to normal posih tion, the. bending member 36 is also returned, so that the cross tie link can move with the chain, said link moving over the inclined surface 112 to pass the abutment 110.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is Y 1. A machine oit" the character described including a bending member having a linger to pass through the loop of a doubled wire link around a chain or other member and a portion to bend the loop around said chain or member after the linger has moved through the loop.

2. A machine of the character described including a rotary bending member having a curved linger to pass through the loop ot' a doubled wire link and around a chain or other member, and having a seat to contact with said loop atter the linger has passed through said loop,'for bending the loop around said chain or member.

3. A machine of the character described comprising vmeans for advancing` a cha-in or other member, means for supplying a doubled wire link, and bending means including inger movable through the loop ot said around said chain or member, and havbend the loop around said chain'or member.

il machine ot the char cter described comprising means tor advancing a chain or other member, means for supplying a doubled wire link, and a rotary bending member having a cui-ved iingerto pass through said loop and around said chain or mem# ber, and having` a seat to contact with said loop after the finger has moved through the loop, for bending the loop around said chain or member.

5. A. machine ot the character described comprising means for advancing a chain, a guide through which the chain is advanced, means for bending a link around said chain beyond said guide, and a support for said chain beyond said bending means having` abutments for the engagement of the chain links to prevent the chain link, to which the aforesaid link is applied, from being displaced. transversely or rotated with the bending means.

6. A machine or the character described comprising means for advancing` a chain, a guide through which the chain is advanced, means ior bending a cross tie link around a link ot the chain beyond said guide, and a support for the chain link beyond said bending means, said support having opposite abutments to hold the chain link between them against transverse displacement, one of the abutments being undercut to prevent the chain link from turning with said bending means, and said support having an inclined surface for the movement of the cross tie link over the corresponding abutment.

ln testimony whereot' I hereunto aliiX my signature.

GARY B. SMITH.

ng a portion to Contactv withY the loop and 

